Wasp could sting pest beetle population

Scientists said a tiny wasp could stop an Australian beetle chewing through millions of dollars in forestry profits every year. Scion, the Crown Research Institute, have applied to release a parasitoid wasp to control the eucalyptus tortoise beetle. The Environmental Protection Authority would consider the application to introduce the Eadya daenerys wasp which could control the beetle by laying eggs in its larvae. It would eat the inside out of its host. Parisitoids always kill their hosts and could affect beetle survival rates. EPA’s General Manager of Hazardous Substances and New Organisms, Fiona Thompson-Carter said its survival would drop to 1- percent if attacked once by the wasp. The wasp was harmless to humans. According to Scion, the beetle cost the industry between $1 and $2.6 million a year. Eucalyptus trees in New Zealand were used as a source of woodchips for paper, timber and poles.